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Games: Play a game that involves answering questions, singing, acting, drawing, and sculpting – a Cranium®/Trivial Pursuit type of game. Learn story details.

Art (Woodworking): Create “peace houses.” Talk about what makes for peace in families and among friends.

--for 1st- 3rd grade

Cooking: Make “dirt” from crushed Oreo cookies. Learn about how to handle “crushing” experiences. (Portions of this lesson accessible at the free cooking lesson available from Potter’s Publishing at http://www.potters-publishing.com/ )

Puppets: Use handle-bag puppets to retell the story of Joseph and his brothers.

Drama: Focus on learning the story sequence by hearing about the story characters and their feelings and by enacting the story. [Note: the book Crazy Clothesline Characters is needed for the script.]

--And older workshops used in 2003 but not updated for 2010

Art: Tie-dyed t-shirts. We didn't use this one again because of the cost of buying everyone a t-shirt. And we'd just done another project recently with t-shirts.

Music: Explore the story through song and movement.

Scripture References:

Genesis 37:1-36, 39:1-6b

Key Verse:

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a (CEV)

Workshop Objectives — After completing this Rotation, participants will be able to:

Name that the story is found in the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis.

(3rd grade and up) Locate the story in the Bible. Identify Genesis as a book of Law.

Retell the story in their own words – identifying story characters and their feelings.

Analyze how jealousy erupted in Joseph’s family and led to the brother’s selling Joseph into slavery.

Recognize that in our lives God’s activity may be hidden. We may not always see it, but he does have a plan for each of us.

Discover how we should face difficulties: describe God as with you in all situations.

Story Background:

We will spend two Rotations over the next two months on the Old Testament account of Joseph. The first Rotation focuses mostly on Genesis 37 – Joseph, his brothers and the infamous coat. It is a familiar story of family struggles: favoritism, bragging, sibling rivalry, and brothers gone bad. We’ll only catch a glimpse of it this month (and won’t really see it until we cover the second Rotation on Joseph) but it is also the story of God having a greater plan. Things can look pretty bad, but God is never far away. Recalling Joseph’s story can help us get through our own difficult times.

As you read the portions of Genesis for this first Rotation, ponder these questions: Have you experienced what seemed like a terrible situation that ended up being a blessing? How did this show you that God is ultimately in control of your life?

The Favorite Son/Sibling RivalryOur story is about Jacob and his large family. Jacob had four wives and four sets of children – a total of twelve sons and one daughter. We learn that Joseph was clearly the favorite in the family, at least in his father’s eyes. From his brothers however, he invokes anger. Joseph apparently tattles on his brothers. Verse 2 tells us:

…he was always telling his father all sorts of bad things about his brothers.

Then there is the ultimate instance of favoritism: As a symbol of his love, Jacob makes Joseph a “fancy coat.” Traditionally, this is translated as a “coat of many colors.” However, the actual meaning of the original Hebrew is unclear. More than likely this “fancy coat” was embroidered and had long sleeves – hardly a garment for working as a shepherd! It surely made quite an impression. The response it caused among Joseph’s brothers was jealousy and hatred.

The DreamerThings got worse when Joseph told his brothers about two dreams he had. One dream showed their bundles of wheat bowing down to his bundle of wheat. Another dream had the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowing to his star. To the brothers, this sounded like Joseph was trying to take over the whole family!

“Do you really think you are going to be king and rule over us,” they asked? Now they hated Joseph more than ever because of what he had said about his dream (verse 8).

God had used dreams in the past to communicate with Old Testament people. In those days dreams were seen as prophecies of what was to come. Even Jacob had experienced God speaking to him in dreams (see Genesis 28:10-15 and Genesis 31:11-13). God was sending Joseph a message in these dreams – God had a plan for Joseph. Because we have the benefit of being able to read ahead in the story, we know that in fact, many years later the brothers will bow down to an unrecognized Joseph when they travel to Egypt to buy grain. But for now, the dreams only cause anger from his brothers. The family members become separated by feelings of anger, jealousy, and hate.

Brothers take actionUnfortunately it is all too easy for feelings to take control of us. The brothers now plot how to get rid of Joseph. Their chance comes when Joseph is sent to check on his brothers, who are some distance away with the flock. Joseph is obviously not afraid of his brothers, as he could have easily used the excuse of not being able to find them for they had moved from Shechem to Dothan. One has to wonder if Joseph knew how his brothers felt. But find them he does, and the brothers see Joseph coming. His coat must have made him easy to spot!

They said to one another, “Look, here comes the hero of those dreams! Let’s kill him and throw him into a pit and say that some wild animal ate him. Then we’ll see what happens to those dreams” (verses 18-20).

Reuben, the oldest brother, objects to the idea of killing Joseph; he suggests they throw him into a pit. This pit would have been essentially a dry well, or cistern carved out of solid rock. While Joseph would surely die down there, it wouldn’t be by their actually murdering him. We find in verse 22 that Reuben has an ulterior motive in suggesting his plan – he intends to come back later and rescue Joseph! Reuben apparently had a small amount of compassion. He also might have felt that as oldest, he would be held responsible for Joseph’s well being.

Unaware of the murderous thoughts of his brothers, Joseph arrives on the scene. His brothers grab him, strip off his special coat and throw him into a pit. Then they sit down to eat! They obviously lack conscience if they can casually eat after what they’ve done. Interestingly, Reuben is not there. We are not told why. Perhaps he was off watching the sheep. At any rate, Reuben misses what happens next.

Sold into slaveryIn verses 25-28, we read:

As Joseph’s brothers sat down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead… So Judah said, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his body? Let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not harm him”…

When the Midianite merchants came by, Joseph’s brothers took him out of the well, and for twenty pieces of silver they sold him to the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt.

The terms “Ishmaelites” and “Midianites” refer to the same people. That slave traders were passing by at that moment is an unremarkable event – the area would have been on the trade route between lands to the north and east, and Egypt in the south. It is another example however, of God intervening in Joseph’s life. God has plans for Joseph, even at this dark point in his life.

The Cover UpMeanwhile, Reuben returns and finds Joseph gone. He was furious and full of grief. And what will they tell their father Jacob? The brothers cover up their deed by smearing Joseph’s coat in goat’s blood. They take it to Jacob, pretending to have found it.

After this, they took the coat to their father and said, “We found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son.” Jacob knew it was Joseph’s coat and said, “It’s my son’s coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal” (verses 32-33).

Jacob is taken in by the deception. He mourns for Joseph for a long time. One has to wonder if the brothers considered the reaction of their aged father.

What happened to Joseph?The traders have sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials. (A pharaoh is a title given to the king of Egypt.) Again, it is part of God’s plan that Joseph should end up where he did. It is not obviously apparent, God is not even mentioned in chapter 37 of Genesis, but Joseph maintains faith in God. As we read in Genesis 39:2-3:

So Joseph lived in the home of Potiphar, his Egyptian owner. Soon Potiphar realized that the LORD was helping Joseph to be successful in whatever he did.

Years will pass (and several chapters in Genesis) before God’s purposes will be fully known.As Joseph will say to his brothers years later:

You tried to harm me, but God made it turn out for the best, so that he could save all these people, as he is now doing (Genesis 50:20).

EpilogueWhat advice about our life can we take away from this scripture?

Joseph’s story becomes a source of spiritual encouragement: despite his low points, Joseph never lost faith in God. Can we do likewise?

God’s activity may be hidden to us. It may seem like God is ignoring us! Rest assured that God is with you in all situations.

It took time, but eventually Joseph was able to discover that God used each step of the way, the good and the bad, to complete a plan for Joseph’s life. We may not always see it, but God does have a plan for each of us.

Are we able to keep our faith during tough times? Are we able to implicitly feel the statement made by our key Bible verse from Romans 8:28…

We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.

This key Bible verse is the one in which we encourage the students to learn by heart – which is different than memorizing. Memorizing is like learning facts for a test; this is a different sort of learning. We say we are keeping God’s word in our heart. There may come a time when you are feeling low, and everything is going bad, and then from your heart come these words. And you’ll say, oh, yeah – God made a promise with me!

Other resources: Visit Carol's blog – where we encourage parents to continue the learning at home.

(Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None, Carol does not make any money from her blog. Any ads you may see are placed by Wordpress.)

This set of workshops were written by folks from:

First United Methodist ChurchAnn Arbor, MI

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:Hulbert, Carol. "Joseph’s Coat: Bible Background." Jan. 2010. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

Copyright 2003 and 2010 First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI.Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material.

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

In the kitchen, fill a pitcher with ice and water. Gather enough plastic cups – the washable type – to serve water and popcorn.

Pop the popcorn in the microwave for 3 minutes. Pour popcorn into cups. Pour cups of water.

Make sure you know how to use the TV/DVD, especially how to move by chapters and scanning forward and backward within a chapter.

Insert the DVD. Start from the beginning of the disc and select “Play Movie.” Play the video for about 1 minute, 15 seconds until the hawk flies away and you see Jacob and one of his sons by a tree. Pause; the video will be started here. [It’s important to start the video at the correct spot so as to have enough time for this lesson.]

Write the key Bible verse on a piece of easel paper. Remove it and use the masking tape to hang it up on the wall.

Make a “Things to Watch For” list on a piece of easel paper. Include these six items: Jacob, Rachel, Joseph, the brothers, the traders, Potiphar. Set list aside, not in plain view.

Bookmark the leader’s purple Adventure Bible to Genesis 39:2.

Presentation:

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the video workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

[Note: Ask the Shepherd to take care of attendance/nametags while you start the lesson.]

Say: We are learning (continuing to learn) about the story of Joseph and about how he was the only one in his family to receive a fancy coat from his father. We’ll also look at how his brothers reacted. Today we’re going to watch a video about this story. First, let’s begin with prayer.

Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Be prepared to say a prayer yourself, working in prayer requests. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. [You may ask one or two students to lead the Lord’s Prayer.] A suggestion: “Dear God, Thank you for this day. Thank you for sending Jesus to always be with us. We feel comforted when we remember you always love us. (End with the Lord’s Prayer) Amen.”

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:Show the box the video came in. Ask: Has anyone ever seen this video, “Joseph, King of Dreams?” Say: This video tells a Bible story. Ask: What can you tell me about the story of Joseph?

See how much of the story your group knows. On the white board easel, draw words and symbols to represent the different parts of the story as they are offered. At this time, don’t fill in any left out portions of the story.Ask: Do you know where in the Bible would we find this story? (in the Old Testament)Say: The Old Testament includes stories that happened before Jesus was born. In fact, Jesus would have learned this story when he was your age.

Ask: We find our story in the first book of the Old Testament. Does anyone know what the first book of the Old Testament is? (Genesis)

Distribute Bibles.

Say: We say that the book of Genesis is part of a collection of Bible books called “Law.” Law books include the first five books of the Bible. They are called the books of Law because they include the commandments or laws that God revealed to his people. If you have your own Bible today, be sure you receive a tab for the Law section of your Bible.

[Show the classroom Bible with tabs. Have the Shepherd a do Law tab for students who bring their Bibles. Use the classroom Bible with tabs as an example.]

Say: When we watch our video we’re going to be checking to see how well it tells the story from the Bible. So let’s find our story in Genesis.

Have them find Genesis, chapter 37.

Say: This is a long story. In order to have enough time to watch our video, we are just going to read parts from the Bible. I encourage all of you to read this story at home this week. It covers all of chapter 37 and the first part of chapter 39.

Based on how much of the story the students knew, read only the portions that were missed, interspersed with reiterating what the students have told you (referring to what was written on the white board)…

In our story, Jacob is the father. He has 12 sons and one daughter.

Jacob (who was also called Israel) lived in the land of Canaan.

Jacob’s favorite son was Joseph. (If needed, read Genesis 37:3-4)

Joseph had a dream that made his brother’s angry with him. (If needed, read Genesis 37:6-8).

Joseph had another dream that made his father wonder what it meant. (If needed, read Genesis 37:9-11)

One day Jacob asked Joseph to check on his brothers who were grazing the sheep some distance away. So, Joseph went to find his brothers. His brothers saw him coming—it must have been because of the colorful coat. (If needed, read Genesis 37:19-20)

Reuben, the oldest brother, suggested throwing Joseph into a pit. Reuben was thinking that he would secretly rescue Joseph.

So the brothers took Joseph’s coat and threw him into a cistern (or a pit).

Then the brothers calmly had some supper! And they saw some traders coming; these traders were on their way to Egypt.

The brothers sold Joseph to the traders. (If needed, read Genesis 37:28)

Joseph’s brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s fancy coat in its blood. They took the coat to their father who recognized it as Joseph’s coat. Jacob was very sad for a long time.

Meanwhile Joseph was sold in Egypt. (If needed, read Genesis 37:36)

Say: There is a bit more to our story but let’s watch the video. Keep your Bibles open.

Use masking tape to hang the “Things to Watch For” poster. Go over the list…

Say: There will be Jacob, the father of this big family, and Rachel, Joseph’s mother. Jacob actually had four wives, which is why you’ll hear the brothers in the movie refer to themselves as half-brothers. Having more than one wife was common in Old Testament times. We’ll see Joseph – 1st as a baby then as he grows to be 17 years old. We’ll see Joseph’s brothers. Finally we’ll watch for the traders on their way to Egypt. And we’ll see what happens to Joseph in Egypt as he is sold to Potiphar. I mentioned before we would be checking to see how well this video tells our Bible story. There are a couple of times when they don’t get the story right.

Show the VideoHave the Shepherd distribute the snack.

Using the DVD, from the place previously cued to, HIT PLAY.POINT OUT Jacob, without stopping the video.VIEW scene of 5 minutes and 16 seconds.PAUSE at the end of the song “I am a Miracle Child,” when Joseph is on a hilltop with all the sheep following him. [The PAUSE button is one of the most powerful tools in your workshop. Don’t be afraid to use it!]

Ask: Do Joseph and his brothers get along? (allow all responses)Why not? (brothers jealous of coat, of Jacob favoring Joseph over them)What does jealousy mean? (feeling unhappy because of another person’s possessions or advantage) Tell me about a time when you felt jealous? What did you do about your feelings of jealousy?

Ask: Why do you suppose Jacob (the father) played favorites and gave only Joseph a special coat? (allow all responses) Say: Jacob had four wives but the Bible tells us that Rachel was his favorite. One of the things we learn about Joseph is that he has interesting dreams.

Ask: Does anyone remember from the Bible story, what Joseph’s first dream is about? (his brothers’ wheat bowing down to him- if necessary refer to Genesis 37:6-7)Say: But, if I were to press play and we were to keep watching – we’d see a different dream – one that the producers of this video made-up! It’s a dream about a wolf. Sometimes videos don’t exactly follow the Bible. We’re going to skip this part of the video.

Use CONTROLS option to SCAN FORWARD into chapter 2, pausing where Jacob tosses one of his son’s a shepherd’s stick.

VIEW scene of 3 minutes.PAUSE when Joseph sits on a rock after seeing his brothers swimming.

Ask: How do you suppose Joseph is feeling? (left out)What did Jacob say about God’s plan for Joseph? (that he was a miracle child, that he would be different from his brothers)Say: Let’s watch that scene again.[Don't be afraid to view an important scene a second time. Kids (and adults) watch movies over and over all the time.]

SCAN BACKWARDS into chapter 2 to the scene where Jacob hands Joseph the scroll.VIEW scene of 33 seconds until Jacob says, “that won’t be your future.”

Say: Jacob is sure that God has special plans for Joseph.Ask: Do you suppose that God has a plan for your life? (allow any answers) How do you suppose that God makes his plans known to us?

Say: God’s activity in our lives may appear to be hidden to us, but God does have a plan for each of you. God is always with you, at work in your lives.

Refer to the hanging paper with the key Bible verse. Ask students to say it with you: “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a

Say: That little “a” after the 28 means that we stop reading after the first sentence in that is in verse 28.Have students say the verse again.

Say: Things don’t look very good for Joseph right now – all of his brothers don’t like him. Let’s see how God is working in Joseph’s life. Remember that in this video they’ve had Joseph have a dream that didn’t happen in the Bible. They’ve shown that dream as coming true. Now let’s watch Joseph having another dream.

GO TO CHAPTER 4.VIEW scene of about 3 minutes and 17 seconds.PAUSE after Rachel says, “if we break apart we have nothing left.” [Just before she starts singing.]

Say: All these feelings of jealousy and rivalry have created bad feelings in Joseph’s family.Ask: If we are angry, or jealous of someone, do we feel close to that person, or separated from that person? (separated)Say: Bad feelings can cause us to feel separated from family and friends. The good news is that God is never separated from us! God is always close to us even if we are having difficulties.

Ask: There are a couple of things that this video didn’t have quite right, does anyone know what they are?

Have students look at Genesis 37:5-9. Ask them to read these passages to themselves.Point out that the video has just one dream but the Bible tells it as two dreams.

Point out the other mistaken point – that Judah is not the oldest, Reuben is.

Ask: What do you suppose Joseph’s dreams mean, will his brothers bow down to him?Say: These dreams give us a hint about how this story ends. We’ll actually be talking about that part of the story next month. Let’s watch the end of our story for this month.

GO TO CHAPTER 6.VIEW scene of 1 minute and 54 seconds.PAUSE when Joseph is in the pit and says “don’t leave me here alone”.

Say: If you check this video story against the Bible you’ll notice that Joseph did not overhear his brothers plotting against him and Joseph did not fall into the pit – his brothers put him in.Ask: Do you notice any other differences between the Bible and our video?[You don’t need to mention these other differences but astute viewers might pick up on the fact that Joseph went to his brothers at his father’s request and not voluntarily as is shown. Also, in the Bible, Reuben shows mercy to Joseph but in the video all the brothers have an equal amount of hatred.]

SCAN FORWARD just a bit – until you see the full moon centered in the hole.VIEW scene of 5 minutes and 42 seconds.STOP after the guard says, “Looks like we have some work to do.”

Ask: Do you suppose Joseph is feeling pretty desperate?Say: All his life Joseph has been told that he is special, that God has a plan for him.Ask: Do you suppose that Joseph is wondering what God’s plan is at this point?Have you ever felt like you were in a desperate situation? (allow any replies)Who can tell us about a time when you wondered what God’s plan was for you?

Say: You may never have felt like you didn’t know what was going to happen to you, but no matter what, know that God is with you. God was with Joseph. Listen to this…

Read to them Genesis 39:2.

Closing:Say: Because I know the ending of this story, I can tell you that this story of Joseph teaches us how to deal with difficulty in our lives. Always remember that God loves you and is always with you no matter what.

If you have extra time:Ask student to read the “Did You Know” note on page 47 in the purple Adventure Bible.Talk about how knowing how things will turn out is helpful to our understanding.Discuss ways to keep the focus on God when we don’t know how a situation will end-up.

Play a game that involves answering questions, singing, acting, drawing, and sculpting – a Cranium®/Trivial Pursuit type of game. Learn story details. [Note: 4th – 6th graders visited this workshop.]

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 37:1-36, 39:1-6b

Key Verse:

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a (CEV)

Leader Preparation:

Read the scripture for this lesson.

Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.

Gather the materials

Supplies List:

Copies of the story paraphrase - one for every two kids (see attached)

Whiteboard easel and dry erase markers

Four sets of colored cards with the letters J-O-S-E-P-H (one letter on each card, each letter is a different color) – Assumes a class size of approx. 12 kids

One set of colored cards with questions/activities for each game category. The colors correspond with those of the letters J-O-S-E-P-H. For example, the J card might be yellow and the question cards to “earn” a J would also be yellow.

Four sets of index cards or small pieces of paper (each set contains the words of the Key Bible Verse – one word per card)

Lots of scrap paper and pencils/pens for the drawing activities

Playdoh™ for the sculpting activities

One beanbag

Game questions for the leader [See attached)

Sand/two minute timer

Before Start of Class:

Write the key Bible verse on the easel.

Organize the game supplies – Make sure you have available the:-- Questions/activities on colored cards-- The leader’s sheet with the game questions/activities-- The game supplies needed for the questions/activities

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Games Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults. Have the students sit in a circle. [Note: Ask the Shepherd to take care of attendance/nametags while you start the lesson.]

Say: Let’s start with prayer.Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. A suggestion: “Dear Lord, We are thankful to be here to learn about Joseph and to learn that even when bad things happen, God is with us and watches over us. (End with everyone joining in on the Lord’s Prayer.) Amen.”

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:Distribute copies of the Joseph’s Coat Story Paraphrase. Ask the kids to share a copy with someone else and follow along in the reading. Instruct the students and adults take turns reading paragraphs.

Say: “We will take turns reading a paraphrase of this story. When the person next to you finishes reading a paragraph, please continue reading at the beginning of the next paragraph.

[Note: After the second week of the Rotation the students will become more familiar with the story. Have them locate the scripture in their Bibles. Then ask them to tell you the story. Fill in any missing details by using their Bibles.]

Do: Spend some time going over the Key Bible Verse. Using the key verse written on the white board, have everyone read the key verse. Then ask a student to erase one word. Then have everyone read the verse filling in the missing word. Have students take turns erasing words each time reading the verse aloud as a group.

Play the Game:Game Play Rules:• Divide the group up into 2 – 4 teams (ideally there will be 2-3 kids on each team). Have them move to their own space in the room.• Explain that each team is trying to collect letter cards to spell JOSPEH. Display one of each card.• Determine the order that the teams will go based on guessing numbers, drawing straws, birthdays closet to today’s date (however you would like to do this). Be sure that there is a distinct order.• Before starting the game, be sure to cover up the Key Bible Verse.• Beginning with team #1, allow the team to choose which letter they would like to earn on their turn.• There are 6 different types of activities. When a team completes an activity, the workshop leader hands the team the letter earned. The team should place the letter in front of their group and begin to spell “JOSEPH”. The first team to spell “Joseph” wins, though if there is time, continue playing until all teams have spelled “Joseph” Leave 5 minutes for the closing.

• The six different activities are:J = Just the FactsO = Open Ended Life Application QuestionsS = SculptingE = Energy filled DrawingP = Play the PartH = Have-to-do-it

• The S and E and P activities are to be done by one team member while the other team member(s) try to guess what is being depicted. So show these cards (or read them quietly) to one designated member of the team.• Cards that are marked with the words “ALL PLAY” indicate that all of the teams have a chance to earn that particular letter by completing the activity with their own team at the same time.

Other game hints:• When someone draws an “O” type question: explain that there are no right or wrong answers. The workshop leader will determine whether their answer earns a letter.• Use every opportunity during game play to allow discussion that may occur from a particular question/answer.• You may wish to set a time limit on how long students have to answer the questions by using the sand timer.

Closing:Ask: What advice about our lives can we take away from this scripture? Are we able to keep our faith during tough times? Are we able to truly feel the statement made by our key Bible verse from Romans 8:28a?

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.”

Choose any of the following activities to close with (depending on what you think the group of kids would enjoy).• Have the whole entire group sing the Key Bible Verse to the tune of Amazing Grace or Joy to the World• As you toss a bean bag to each team member, the team member holding the bean bag must say the next word in the key verse.• Repeat what you did at the beginning of the lesson: Using the key verse written on the white board, have everyone read the key verse. Then ask a student to erase one word. Then have everyone read the verse filling in the missing word. Have students take turns erasing words each time reading the verse aloud as a group.

Attachment: Story Paraphrase Genesis 37:1-35, 39:1-6a

Jacob and his large family lived in the land of Canaan. Jacob had many sons (eventually 12 in all) and one daughter. Troubles began because Jacob liked his son Joseph the best. Joseph brought bad reports about his brothers to his father.

Jacob loved Joseph so much that he made Joseph an outlandish coat – it is often described as having many beautiful colors. The coat made Joseph proud. He felt special! But it made his brothers…mad! They hated Joseph. They couldn’t speak one kind word to him.

One night Joseph had a dream. When he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. “Listen to my dream,” said Joseph. “We were out in the field, tying our bundles of wheat together, when suddenly my bundle rose and stood upright. All of your bundles gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” His brothers said, “do you plan to be king over us?” They didn’t like what Joseph had to say.

Then Joseph had another dream. He told his brothers. “In this dream the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream. What could it mean? Was God sending Joseph a message?

One day Joseph's brothers had taken the sheep to graze away from home. Jacob asked Joseph to go check on them. So, Joseph went to find his brothers. His brothers saw him coming—it must have been because of the colorful coat. “Here comes that dreamer,” said his brothers. “Let’s kill him! Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams!”

“No, don’t kill him,” a brother named Reuben said. “Let’s only throw him into a pit. There’s one over there.” Reuben was thinking that at night he would secretly rescue Joseph.

Joseph came up to his brothers. Before he could even say hello, they grabbed him. They took his multicolored coat and threw him into a pit. Then his brothers sat down to eat their dinner!

As they were eating a brother named Judah said, “Look, here come some men on their way to Egypt – Ishmaelite traders. Let’s sell Joseph, and then we won’t have to kill him. After all, he is our brother.” So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold him for twenty pieces of silver.

To cover up their deed, Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in its blood. They took the coat to their father and said, "We found this!” Jacob recognized it. “Joseph must have been killed by a wild animal!” Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time.

Meanwhile, the Ishmaelites took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, the king's official in charge of the palace guard. Soon Potiphar realized that God was helping Joseph to be successful in whatever he did! Yes, God was with Joseph.

Attachment: Game Questions

The J’s – Just the Facts [Allow use of Bibles to help answer these questions.]

In what book and chapter of the Bible is our story found? (Genesis, Chapter 37 and part of 39)

How many brothers and sisters did Joseph have? (11 brothers, 1 sister)

Why was Joseph having dreams about his brothers? (God was sending Joseph a message through the dreams)

Why were Joseph’s brothers jealous of him? (Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, he was always telling his father about the bad things his brothers did)

Define jealousy. (feeling unhappy because of another person’s possessions or advantage)

Give an example of how God was at work in Joseph’s life. (accept most answers – a few might be… Joseph’s life was spared; God sent messages to Joseph through dreams; God helped Joseph to be successful in whatever he did)

The O’s – Open Ended Life Application Questions[There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Use material from the Bible Background to help you discuss these questions with the students. Spend time discussing these questions – they are important!]

Why do you think Reuben objected to the idea of his brothers killing Joseph?

Why do you think the brothers decided to sell Joseph instead of kill him?

How could Joseph and his father have helped their family feel happier?

Give an example of how God has worked in your life or the life of someone you know.

Tell about something that may cause family members today to be jealous of each other or angry with each other.

The S’s – Sculpting[One team member sculpts while other team member tries to guess what is being sculpted.]

Sculpt: Joseph wearing his special coat

Sculpt: The sun and moon and stars bowing down to Joseph’s star

Sculpt: The pit that Joseph was thrown into

Sculpt: Joseph living in Egypt with Pharaoh

Sculpt: Joseph’s coat torn up by a “wild animal”

The E’s – Energy-filled Drawings[One team member draws on the whiteboard while other team member tries to guess what is being drawn.]

Draw: The sun and moon and stars bowing down to Joseph’s star

Draw: Joseph’s brothers tearing off Joseph’s special coat and throwing him into a pit.

use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:Pascoe, Beth. "Joseph’s Coat: Games Workshop." Jan. 2010. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

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Woodworking! Create “peace houses.” Talk about what makes for peace in families. [Note: 4th – 6th graders visited this workshop. This lesson is great for a woodworking member of your church to work along side a regularworkshop leader. The woodworker can help the children construct their houses while the workshop leader does everything else.]

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 37:1-36, 39:1-6b

Key Verse:

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a (CEV)

Leader Preparation:

Read the scripture for this lesson.

Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.

Gather the materials.

Supplies List:

Easel; appropriate maker

One sheet of white drawing paper; a dark colored marker

A picture of an “in the dog house plaque” (see resources at end of lesson)

Bibles; One purple Adventure Bible with tabs (Law, History, etc.)

Bible tab writing kit: tabs, fine-line Sharpie pen

Wood to create houses, pre-cut -- For each peace house: one base: 3/4" thick by 3.5 inches wide by 1.75 inches deep. (So cut pieces 1.75 inches from a "1 by 4"); One "roof" cut from wood that is 0.25 inches thick by 1 inch wide by 3.25 inches long; A second "roof" cut from the same dimensional wood by 3 inches long; One main portion of the house: cut from a 1 by 4, 5.5 inches tall. Make a "roof peak" on this piece of wood by making two cuts about 4 inches up.

Small wooden hearts (several per student – one for every member of each students family)

Adhesive Velcro tabs

Colored Sharpie markers

Sticky labels (one per student)

Before Start of Class:

Create a jig to help the students assemble a house (see photo at end of lesson).

Write the key Bible verse on the easel.

Arrange needed supplies for the project.

On the piece of paper, draw a large peace symbol.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Art Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

Ask the Shepherd to take care of attendance/nametags while you start the lesson.

Show the peace symbol.

Ask: Who knows what this symbol means? (peace)What makes for a peaceful situation? (getting along)Do you ever have moments when there is not peace in your family?Do you sometimes have conflict over who gets to use the computer or what gets watched on TV?What does it feel like when there is conflict between friends or between family members?

Say: When there is conflict, things do not feel peaceful. Today we’ll be making something that reminds us about peace. Our Bible story today is about conflict in a family between Old Testament Joseph and his brothers. They needed peace in their family! Before we review our story let’s begin with prayer.

Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. [You may ask one or two students to lead the Lord’s Prayer.] A suggestion: “Dear God: Thank you for the stories in the Bible. It is always refreshing to read about situations that are sort of like what happens to us. Help us to see you at work in our lives. You are an awesome God! (End with the Lord’s Prayer). Amen.”

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:

Say: Let’s find our story in the Bible.Ask: If I told you that it’s a story that Jesus learned as a child, where would we find it in the Bible? (OT)Say: The Bible is like a library. There are 66 books in the Bible. Our story for today is in the book of Genesis. Genesis is the first book in the Old Testament.

Distribute Bibles. Have everyone find Genesis in the Bible.

Say: Besides being divided into two testaments, the 66 books in the Bible are further divided into collections. We say that the book of Genesis is part of a collection of Bible books called “Law.” Law books include the first five books of the Bible. If you have your own Bible with you today, be sure you receive a tab for the Law section of your Bible. [Show the classroom Bible with tabs. Have the Shepherd do a tab for students who bring their Bibles. Use the classroom Bible with tabs as an example.]If this is a week early in the Rotation, proceed through the reading plan below. Towards the end of the Rotation, ask the students if they can tell you the story – hitting the points in the reading plan. Have them check their Bibles for accuracy.

The reading plan:

Say: In our story, Jacob is the father. He ends up having 12 sons and one daughter. Jacob (who was also called Israel) lived in the land of Canaan.

Read Genesis 37:5-8. [The point: Joseph had a dream that made his brother’s angry with him.]

Read Genesis 37:9-11. [The point point: Joseph had another dream that made his brothers madder and made his father wonder what it meant.]

Say: One day Jacob asked Joseph to check on his brothers who were grazing their sheep some distance away. So, Joseph went to find his brothers. His brothers saw him coming—it must have been because of his fancy coat. Let’s read about what the brother’s were planning.

Read Genesis 37:19-20. [The point: They plot to kill Joseph.]

Say: Reuben, the oldest brother, suggested not killing Joseph but just throwing him into a pit. Reuben was thinking that he would secretly rescue Joseph. So the brothers took Joseph’s coat and threw Joseph into a cistern (or a pit). Then the brothers calmly had some supper! And they saw some traders coming; these traders were on their way to Egypt.

Read Genesis 37:26-28. [The point: The brothers sold Joseph to the traders.]

Say: Joseph’s brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s fancy coat in its blood. They took the coat to their father who recognized it as Joseph’s coat. Jacob was very sad for a long time.

Read Genesis 37:36. [The point: Joseph was sold in Egypt.]

Say: For the Word of God in scripture, for the Word of God among us, for the Word of God within us,The class says: Thanks be to God!Say: We say those words after we read in the Bible. We say that what we’ve read is the word of God and we are very thankful to have God’s words!

Preliminary Discussion:

Ask: Would you want Joseph for a brother? (allow a few responses)Have you ever had the experience of someone that showed off something that you wished you had, or someone that made you feel inferior? What is it called to feel unhappy because of another person’s possessions or advantage? (jealousy)

Say: Joseph’s brothers were very jealous of Joseph.Ask: What about times when you’ve been jealous; what did you do about your feelings of jealousy? Have people ever been jealous of you? How did you handle that?

Say: Jealousy can lead to problems. Joseph’s brothers didn’t like the way Joseph acted – showing off his coat and telling them about his dreams that made it sound like he was most important. They ended up selling him so that Joseph became a slave in Egypt! There wasn’t peace in his family. Even after Joseph had been sold.

Ask: What if someone could have told Jacob…what if someone could have whispered in his ear…and made him think twice about favoring just one of his sons with a special coat? (pause a moment for thought)

Or what if someone could have reminded the other brothers before they’d sold Joseph: (whisper this part) what will be the effect on Jacob of showing him Joseph’s coat covered in blood? (pause a moment for thought) Do you suppose that the story could have been different if someone, or some thing could have pointed the family back to maintaining peace?

Start the art project:

Explain the concept of the term “in the dog house” and how someone causing trouble in a family could be thought of as “in the dog house.” Show the picture of an “in the dog house” plaque. Show how the dogs have names written on them and could be moved “into the dog house.”

Say: That sure gives everyone a visual of who is being bad! Ask: What about thinking positive – about highlighting who is making peace? Say: Today we will make “peace houses.” This can be a symbol of peace in your household, a reminder to work towards peace in your family by being the one who gets their name placed in the peace house.

Construct the peace houses with the class. (Refer to photos at end of lesson.) Stop at 10:25 to allow 7 minutes for closing.

Discussion: (while the kids are working, ask)

Ask: What are ways for keeping peace in your family? (allow all answers – suggestions: allowing everyone a chance to talk, listening to others, making an effort to share, holding a family meeting, etc.)

Do you suppose that having a chance to be the one to go into the peace house might make you more aware of how you treat others?

Do you suppose at that some point in Joseph’s life – probably when his brother’s sold him – that Joseph wondered where God was? (accept all answers)

What about you, have you ever faced a rough situation in your life and wondered, where was God?

Did it seem like God was hidden?

Does it seem like God is absent when times are not peaceful in your life?

Do you suppose that having God as your friend means that nothing bad will ever happen to you?

Say: God’s promise is not to stop all our trouble. We unfortunately are still going to have some bad experiences. But God’s plan is to always be with us and to help us through those experiences. You may be surprised to know that God isn’t even mentioned in chapter 37 of Genesis – the chapter that tells our story!

Ask: What do we know about Jacob’s family to know that they thought about God?

Go over a family tree of the family – Abraham (“the father of God’s people) was the really old guy without any kids whom God promised would have many descendants. Then Abraham had a son named Isaac. Isaac and his wife Rebekah had twin sons Esau & Jacob. That’s another family with conflict! Remember Jacob stealing his brothers blessing? Jacob ended up having 12 sons and one daughter. It is likely that Jacob taught his family about God when he told stories about his grandfather Abraham.

If time allows while students are working, ask the Shepherd to take small groups out

to look for our Bible story in the Bible timeline mural.

Remind them not to touch the artwork.

Why are we sending kids out to look at our timeline?

We are mighty proud of our time line! It is a work of art! For pictures view the artist's web site (Look under the “Murals” tab and scroll down to click on First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor.)

Closing:

Say: God was with Joseph. Let me read to you a bit more of the story from the Bible. Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. He’d been sold as a slave to a man named Potiphar.

Read Genesis 39:1-5.

Say: God’s activity in our lives may appear to be hidden to us, but God does have a plan for each of you. God is always with you, at work in your lives. Let’s look at our key Bible verse for this month. This is a good Bible verse to know by heart.

Refer to the easel with the key Bible verse. Ask students to say it with you: “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a

Ask: Why would it be good to learn this Bible verse by heart? Say: If you find yourself in a situation where you’d need to hear these words they are right there for you if you have them in your heart. Take your peace houses home and display them in a prominent place in your home. Hopefully everyone will have the chance to be in the peace house.

If you have extra time:

Create groups of 3 or 4 students. Ask each member of a group to recite a portion of the key Bible verse. For example, if there are 4 in a group, break up the verse as…

We know that God is always/ at work for the good/ of everyone who loves him./ Romans 8:28a

Have each group repeat their portion of the verse faster, louder, or softer.

Copyright 2010 First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI. Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material.

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:Hulbert, Carol. "Joseph’s Coat: Art Workshop." Jan. 2010. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

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Students will make “dirt” from crushed Oreo cookies. They’ll learn how “crushing” experiences can separate us from family and friends, yet we are never separated from God. Knowing this helps us respond differently when we face disappointments. [Note: 1st – 3rd graders visited this workshop.]

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 37:1-36, 39:1-6b

Key Verse:

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a (CEV)

Divide the contents of each box of pudding in half, placing each half onto sheets of wax paper. Fold-up these wax paper sheets of pudding mix (to protect them).

Leave the separated pudding mix and the plastic quart-sized jars on the metal table in the kitchen. Arrange serving spoons and spatulas and washable cups close at hand.

Place Oreo Cookies into zipper bags – one cookie per bag. Prepare one bag per student.

If gummy worms are large, cut them in half using kitchen shears provided. Place the gummy worms and the spoons (for eating) accessible in the Social Hall.

Have the bags of cookies and the wooden mallet in the Social Hall. Keep the wooden mallet hidden.

Write the key Bible verse on the easel.

Book mark a purple Adventure Bible to Genesis 39:1.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:Gather everyone around the tables in the Social Hall. Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Cooking Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

[Note: Ask the Shepherd to take care of attendance/nametags while you start the lesson.]Say: Today we are learning (continuing to learn) about the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers – Joseph thinks he’s on top of the world because he receives a very special coat as a gift from his father, but then something really awful happens.Ask: Does anyone know what awful thing happened to Joseph? (allow a few answers)

Say: We’ll talk about what happens and how Joseph reacts, but first let’s begin with prayer.

Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. [You may ask one or two students to lead the Lord’s Prayer.]A suggestion: Dear God, Thank you for the chance to be together. Help us to recognize your work in our world. Remind us not to look for you wearing a flashy coat like Joseph’s. Help us remember that you are near to us, comforting us always. (End with the Lord’s Prayer) Amen.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:For the next portion of this lesson refer to the free cooking lesson available from Potter’s Publishing at http://www.potters-publishing.com/ (Click on “Download Free Joseph Unit"). Follow instructions for the “Smash the Cookie” segment.

Tell the story:[Might need to say: I need you to pay attention to the story, so push your bag of crushed cookie towards the center of the table. After we talk about our Bible story we’ll talk about what we’ll do with the cookies.]

Say: Our Bible story is about Joseph. Joseph had an experience that left him feeling crushed.Ask: If Jesus learned this story when he was your age, where would we find it in the Bible? (in the OT)Say: Our Bible story happened a long time ago. We find our story in the book of Genesis, which is the first book of the Old Testament in the Bible.

For 3rd graders:Say: We say that the book of Genesis is part of a collection of Bible books called “Law.” Law books include the first five books of the Bible. They are called the books of Law because they include the commandments or laws that God revealed to his people. If you have your own Bible today, be sure you receive a tab for the Law section of your Bible.[Show the classroom Bible with tabs. Have the Shepherd a do Law tab for students who bring their Bibles. Use the classroom Bible with tabs as an example.]

For all students:Show page 74 in The Beginner’s Bible.

Say: Joseph was the only one in his family to receive a special coat as a gift from his father.Ask: Do you suppose that this was a crushing experience for Joseph? (no, he probably liked getting a nice coat)For whom was it a crushing experience? (Joseph’s brothers)

Show page 75 in The Beginner’s Bible.

Say: Here is Joseph dreaming. This looks like a nice pleasant dream about bundles of wheat.Ask: Do you think that was a crushing experience for Joseph? (no)Say: OK, listen while I read you the story about Joseph; see if you can identify any “crushing experiences” for Joseph.

Read to them pages 56 and 57 in The Children’s Illustrated Bible.Note: Later in the month encourage the kids to tell you the story. Fill in any missing details.

Say: For the Word of God in scripture, for the Word of God among us, for the Word of God within us,The class says: Thanks be to God!Say: We say those words after we read in the Bible. We say that what we’ve read is the word of God and we are very thankful to have God’s words!

Discussion:Say: So, the brothers ganged up on Joseph, throwing him in a pit and eventually selling him! That’s a crushing experience!

Ask: How did the brothers come to have such bad feelings for Joseph? What did Joseph have that they wanted? Say: They were probably jealous of Joseph.Ask: What does jealousy mean? (feeling unhappy because of another person’s possessions or advantage) Tell me about a time when you felt jealous. Why do you suppose Jacob (the father) played favorites and gave only Joseph a special coat? (allow all responses)

Say: Jacob had four wives but the Bible tells us that Rachel, who was Joseph’s mother, was his favorite wife. Perhaps that’s why Jacob gave Joseph a special coat.Ask: Perhaps Jacob felt that God had special plans for Joseph? (allow any response) Do you suppose that God has a plan for your life? How do you suppose that God makes his plans known to us?

Say: God’s activity in our lives may appear to be hidden to us, but God does have a plan for each of you. God is always with you, at work in your lives. Let’s look at our key Bible verse for this month.

Refer to the easel with the key Bible verse. Ask students to say it with you: “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a

For 3rd grade:Say: We find this verse in the New Testament book of Romans, chapter 8. That little “a” after the verse number 28, means that we stop reading after the first sentence that is in verse 28.

For all students:Say: This is a good Bible verse to know by heart. When something crushing happens to you, you can pull this verse out of your memory. [Refer to the easel.] “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.”

Ask: Earlier you were telling about how you’ve handled crushing experiences you had. What do you suppose Joseph did with his disappointment? (allow any answers)

Say: We actually need to peek ahead in the Joseph story to find out what happened to Joseph in Egypt. We’re going to learn about that part of the story next month but I’ll tell you this much – Joseph didn’t give up his faith in God! He knew that no matter what – he would never be separated from God; that God was always at work. Joseph made the best of his bad situation.

Follow the “Brainstorming Ideas” segment and the “Making Dirt Pudding” of the Potter’s Publishing Cooking lesson.

Back to the Social Hall – More discussion with eating:Serve Gummy worms.Allow everyone to enjoy the snack.

Say: Joseph had really been through a crushing experience. His brothers had sold him to some traders on their way to Egypt. Joseph was probably really bummed, but he didn’t let it get him down. Joseph remembered that God would always be with him; he would never be separated from God. Let’s read a little bit about what happened to Joseph.

Ask: Do you suppose that God will fix it so nothing bad ever happens to you? (no)Say: God’s promise is not to stop all trouble. We unfortunately are still going to have crushing experiences. But God’s plan is to help us grow stronger. Learning to handle problems is one way we experience growth.

Closing:Say: We’ve made a tasty snack from broken pieces of cookie. It may not always be easy to fix our crushing experiences but always remember that God is with you.

If you have extra time: Have each group that worked together to create “dirt” recite a portion of the key Bible verse. For example, if there were 4 in a group break up the verse as…

We know that God is always/ at work for the good/ of everyone who loves him./ Romans 8:28a

use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the above resources as well as the following reference:Hulbert, Carol. "Joseph’s Coat: Cooking Workshop." Jan. 2010. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Arrange the puppet stage so it is on the stage in the room. Arrange a few chairs in front of the stage.

Familiarize yourself in how to operate the video camera and how to hook it to the TV.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Puppet Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults. [Note: Ask the Shepherd to take care of attendance/nametags while you start the lesson.]

Ask: How many of you remember the story of “The Lion King”?

Say: The young lion cub, Simba, would someday become king after his father, King Mufasa. Mufasa’s brother, Scar, wanted to be king and was not happy Simba would inherit the throne. He took Simba out in the wilderness to prevent him from becoming king.

Do: Show picture of Simba and Scar on page 245 in The Disney Storybook.

Say: Scar was jealous of Simba. When someone is jealous they are unhappy about what someone else has—like a special position such as king or special clothes like a colorful coat.

Ask: Do you remember the story of Cinderella? Why were her stepsisters so mean to her?

Do: Show Cinderella and her mean stepsisters on p 53 of The Disney Storybook.

Say: Everyone loved Cinderella because she was kind and sweet; her father especially loved her. Her stepsisters were jealous. They did not like the favoritism and made Cinderella work hard and wear old clothes. In our Bible story today we will see how jealousy put Joseph in a bad situation. The hardships he experienced were the beginning of a happy ending for Joseph and his family, which we’ll learn about in next month’s workshops.

Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Be prepared to say a prayer yourself, working in prayer requests. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. [You may ask one or two students to lead the Lord’s Prayer.] A suggestion: “Dear God, We ask that you be help us learn today about Joseph and his brothers. May our time together show us that you are with us in difficult situations? Even when we don’t understand why bad things happen, give us the awareness that you are always with us and have a plan for us. We pray for those people and situations that were mentioned by our classmates this morning. We ask these things in your name and pray as Jesus taught us to pray saying Our Father, Who art in heaven… Amen.”

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:

Say: Our Bible story today is about the sons of Jacob, namely Joseph and his eleven brothers. This takes place before the birth of Jesus.

Ask: If we want to read something before Jesus was born, where would we find it – in the Old Testament or the New Testament of the Bible? (Old)

For 3rd grade and up:

Say: It is the first book of the Old Testament. Turn to Genesis in the Bible. Genesis is the not only the first book of the Bible, it is the beginning of the section called The Law or Pentateuch (pent ah took), which means “five books.” These books tell us about the creation of the world and the beginning of the nation of Israel. If you don’t have a tab for Law yet, the shepherd can prepare one for you to put at the front of your Bible.

Distribute Bibles. Have everyone find Genesis 37 and then Genesis 39 in the Bible.

Say: This is a long story – too long to read it all in class. Please read it this week at home. Now close your Bibles while I read you this story.

For 1st and 2nd graders:Say: We find the story about Joseph and his brothers in the book of Genesis. Genesis is the first book of the Bible where we learn about the creation of the world, Adam and Eve and Moses and the Israelites.

For all students:Show them the pictures from The Young Reader’s Bible “Sold! A Sneaky Deal” pg 56- 61. Read to them the story while showing them the pictures in the book.

[If it is later in the month ask the students to tell you the story. Fill in any missing details.]

Say: When we are done reading our Bible story we are going to say what is said in church after the scripture is read. Be ready to say “thanks be to God!”

Say: For the Word of God in scripture, for the Word of God among us, for the Word of God within us,The class says: Thanks be to God!

Discussion:

(Use a few of the following questions to see if students understood what they heard and are ready to act out the story using puppets. Re-show pictures if needed.)

Ask:

What happens first in the story? (Jacob favors Joseph with anew, fancy coat)

Why did Joseph’s brothers feel the way they did? (They were jealous when Jacob showed that he liked Joseph more and gave him a nice, new colorful coat)

What happened in the first dream? (Joseph dreamed his wheat shaft stood tall while the other shafts bowed down to his shaft)

What did the brothers think about this dream? (They figured that this dream was about them; didn’t like the idea of bowing down to Joseph and their dislike for him grew)

What did the brothers do to Joseph? (They put him in a pit and later sold him to traders)

What did the brothers tell the father? (That Joseph had been killed by an animal; they showed him his torn, colorful coat with goat’s blood on it)

What happened to Joseph after he was put in the pit? (Traders took him to Egypt where he became a slave)

Say: Let’s act out the story using puppets. We can do the puppet show more than once, so that some can be the audience while others are acting out the story; then we’ll switch. We’ll be taping the puppet show so that we can watch it.

Explain how to use the puppets:

Show the students one of the handle-bag puppets.Say: We can have lots of fun with these puppets but we need to treat them gently. Like all church property, we will be respectful and careful in our use of the puppets.

Show the kids how the “bag” or body, slips off the rod or handle. Show them how

you hold the rod with one hand. Now slip the handle through the top of the bag. Show them how one hand is on the handle and the other hand is in the far corner of the bag – it becomes the “hand” of

Have students listen carefully to what you are reading and act out what they hear.Do a run through of the script, with you acting as the narrator. (Don’t read the bold, italic words.) Pause where appropriate, to allow the students to adlib any dialogue.Repeat the script with different puppeteers.

For 3rd grade and up:

Pass out copies of the script. Run through the script. Repeat with different puppeteers.

Discussion:

(Assuming you recorded two versions of the puppet show, watch the first version and discuss the first two questions. Watch the second version and ask the second set of questions):

Ask: What happened in our story that led to Joseph being sold into slavery? (listen for the following answers: Joseph got a fancy coat, was his father’s favorite, had dreams of ruling over family, made his brothers jealous, Reuben prevented his death by having him thrown in dry well)

Ask: Was it apparent that God was with Joseph before he got to Egypt?

Say: Maybe not. Joseph was not liked by his brothers and treated meanly. Being in the dry well and traveling with the slave traders was probably hot, dirty and not comfortable. He was probably scared for his life. He took care of Joseph by sparing his life when the brothers threatened to kill him and put him in a position with the Pharaoh to help others when the time came. Sometimes God’s activity in our lives may be hidden. We may not always see it but he does have a plan for each of us.

Do: Watch second version of recorded puppet show.

Ask: Do you think Joseph felt that God was with him during this difficult time? (did he remember the dreams that God sent him that told him his family would bow down to him?

Ask: How can you remember that God is with you when you have difficult times? (Can you remember that God loves you? That you are a child of God? That God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him?)

Closing:

Say: Our key verse this month is (refer to the easel) “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28

Let’s practice saying the first part together “We know that God is always at work”

And now the last part “ for the good of everyone who loves him. Romans 8:28”

Ask: How do we know that God is at work for Joseph?

Why does the key verse tell us that Joseph’s story has a happy ending?

If you have extra time:

Allow the children to exchange roles in the puppet play and record another video for them to watch.

provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material.

If you use this material, even in a modified form, please include the following reference:Hoffman, Barbara. "Joseph’s Coat: Puppets Workshop." Jan. 2010. Place URL where lesson found inside angle brackets<>.

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Two or three large pieces of fabric (in a rock sort of a color) to cover the chairs – to make a “pit”

A bag of coins

Script (not included here as this is copyright material, we used the book: Crazy Clothesline Characters).

Before Start of Class:

Write the key Bible verse on the easel.

On one side of the room, set up the chairs in a circle to represent a pit. Cover the chairs with the large pieces of fabric.

Familiarize yourself with the three areas of the room to be used in the drama – the pasture, the “tent” and the pit.

Book mark a Bible to Genesis 39.

Lay out some appropriate costumes on the pasture side of the room (opposite side from the pit).

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Drama Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

[Ask the Shepherd to take care of attendance/nametags while you start the lesson.]

Ask: Does everyone know what we do in a Drama Workshop? (allow a few answers)Say: In the Drama Workshop we act out stories from the Bible. Sometimes we pretend we are people from the Bible that lived long ago. That’s what we’ll do today – we’ll act out the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers. It’s a story about how some brothers didn’t get along.

Ask: Do you sometimes have trouble getting along with other people – your friends or classmates or brothers or sisters? (allow a few answers)

Say: Before we act out our story, let’s begin with prayer. Ask for any prayer requests.

Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. A suggestion: Thank you for this day and for everyone who is here this morning. Thank you for sending Jesus to be with us always. We can count on Jesus being near, even when we are having trouble getting along with other people. You are an awesome God! (End with the Lord’s Prayer). Amen.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:

Ask: We have a story to act out about Joseph and his brothers and a coat of many colors. Does anyone know where in the Bible would we find the story of Joseph? (OT, Genesis)

Hold open a Bible to Genesis.

Say: The Bible is like a library. There are 66 books in the Bible. Our story for today is in the book of Genesis. Genesis is the first book in what we call the Old Testament. The Old Testament is stories that happened before Jesus was born.

For 3rd graders:

Distribute Bibles. Have everyone find Genesis, chapter 37.Say: The 66 books in the Bible are further divided into collections. The book of Genesis is part of a collection of Bible books called “Law.” Law books include the first five books of the Bible. They are called the books of Law because they include the commandments or laws that God revealed to his people. If you have your own Bible today, be sure you receive a tab for the Law section of your Bible.[Show the classroom Bible with tabs. Have the Shepherd a do Law tab for students who bring their Bibles. Use the classroom Bible with tabs as an example.]Say: This is a long story so I’ll be using a story Bible to tell our story. Read chapter 37 at home this coming week.

For all students:Say: Let’s review the story so you know the characters, the people, in our story. As we tell this story let’s concentrate on the characters and how they are feeling. Knowing about the characters helps us act out the story because we can try to express the feelings they felt.

Using the Read With Me Bible, show pages 75 to 85. As you show each picture, briefly review the story by asking questions… [If students don’t know the story you may end up telling parts of it.]

Page 75

Ask: Here’s someone receiving a colorful coat – who’s that? Who are all these people in the background? (his brothers) Did all the brothers get beautiful coats? Why not? How do you suppose Joseph feels about receiving a special coat? How did Joseph’s brothers feel about Joseph? What does jealousy mean? (feeling unhappy because of another person’s possessions or advantage)

Page 77

Ask: What’s happening here? [point to wheat] (Joseph is telling his brothers about a dream he had where everyone in the family had a bundle of wheat. The brother’s bundles of wheat bowed down to Joseph’s bundle) I wonder what that could mean?

Page 79

Ask: Here’s Joseph telling his brothers and his father, Jacob, about another dream.

Does anyone know what that dream was? (the sun & moon & 11 stars bowed down to Joseph) Say: Joseph looks pretty excited to be telling his dream. Ask: How did the brothers feel about these dreams? (were jealous)

Page 80/81

Ask: What happened next? [Or, Say: One day Joseph’s father, Jacob asked Joseph to go and check on his brothers who were a long way off, caring for the sheep. The brothers saw Joseph coming.] What are the brothers planning? (to kill Joseph)

Page 82/83

Ask: What happens to Joseph? (his brothers take his colorful coat and throw Joseph into a well) How do you suppose Joseph felt? (confused, scared)

Page 84/85

Ask: Then what happens? (his brothers sell Joseph to some traders on their way to Egypt. They killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s coat in the blood. They gave the coat to their father, Jacob. How did Jacob feel? (very sad)

Page 86

Ask: What happened to Joseph? (the traders took him to Egypt and sold him) How do you suppose Joseph felt? (allow a few responses)

Warm up for drama!

Say: So Joseph ended up in Egypt as a slave; a man named Potiphar bought him. There is more to the story, but that’s as far as we’ll hear for today. Before we act out the story, lets do some warm up exercises to practice showing how we feel.

Have the students move to the “pasture” area of the room and:

Be the tallest person (by stretching).Be the smallest person they can be.Be someone who is showing off a beautiful coat.Be someone who is feeling mad because they don’t have a colorful coat.Be someone who is scared.

Enact the Story

A note about acting out the story: This will work best if the leader gets involved in the drama. Use a dramatic voice to read the story. Don’t read too fast. Pause, to let the students act. You may have to guide them in what it means to ad-lib. They do not have to repeat your dialogue exactly – just so they get the feelings.

Have the students quickly choose costumes. Gather everyone in the “pasture” side of the room.

Say: I’ll read the story in pieces, giving you a chance to act out what you’ve heard. You may add actions and talking. Remember to show how the characters felt. I have added to our drama some more of the story from the Bible. I will be taping your drama so that we can watch it on the TV when we are finished.

Assign characters.Characters needed: Jacob (the father), Joseph, and a bunch of brothers.

Follow the script shown on page 23-25 in the book Crazy Clothesline Characters. Stop after the station 2: Jacob’s Tent portion that is on page 25.

Discussion:

Ask: Would you want Joseph for a brother?Have you ever seen someone that showed off something that you wished you had?

What did you do about your feelings of jealousy? Have people ever been jealous of you? How did you handle that?

Say: Jealousy can lead to problems. Joseph’s brothers sure didn’t like the way Joseph acted – showing off his coat and telling them about his dreams that made it sound like he was most important. They ended up selling him so that Joseph became a slave in Egypt!

Ask: Joseph had been taught that God is always with us. Do you suppose at that point in Joseph’s life – when his brother’s sold him – that he wondered where God was?What about you, have you ever faced a rough situation in your life and wondered, where was God? Did it seem like God was hidden?Do you suppose that having God as your friend means that nothing bad will ever happen to you?

Say: God’s promise is not to stop all our trouble. We unfortunately are still going to have some bad experiences. But God’s plan is to always be with us and to help us through those experiences.Say: God was with Joseph. Let me read to you a bit more of the story from the Bible. Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. He’d been sold as a slave to a man named Potiphar.

Read Genesis 39:2-5.

Say: God’s activity in our lives may appear to be hidden to us, but God does have a plan for each of you. God is always with you, at work in your lives. Let’s look at our key Bible verse for this month. This is a good Bible verse to know by heart.

Refer to the easel with the key Bible verse. Ask students to say it with you: “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a

Closing:

Ask: Why would it be good to learn this Bible verse by heart?Say: If you ever feel like you are in a pit – like Joseph was – it can help to remind yourself that God is always with you! Challenge yourself to learn this Bible verse!

Children will adhere rainbow colored ribbons to dowel rods to make dancing ribbons or streamers. Children will explore the song through movement -- using their streamers to the song "Jo-Jo-Joseph Had a Rainbow Coat". Then while listening to the song "Dream" which describes Joseph's dreams, using a pencil they will "illustrate" the dream as the song (sound) moves them.

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 37:1-36, 39:1-6b

Key Verse:

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a (CEV)

Workshop Objectives:

Identify Genesis as the first book in the Old Testament; locating the story in Genesis

Retell the story in their own words – identifying story characters and their feelings.

Explain how jealousy erupted in Joseph’s family. Learn how feelings can separate us from family and friends.

Understand that God loves us and is never separated from us, no matter what happens.

Leader Preparation:

Read the scripture for this lesson.

Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.

Gather the following materials.

Supplies List:

Bibles

Multi-colored beach ball

Various colors of ribbons (or use strips of ripstop nylon)

Dowel rods

Glue

CD’s as listed in resources below.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Circle up for Hello/Introductions – play “Bounce Hi - Bounce Low” - a game with a rainbow colored ball: As a group sing: "Bounce Hi, Bounce Lo, Bounce the Ball to someone you know." Person with the ball sings: "I'll bounce the ball to ___________." (name of a child in the circle). Repeat.

Proceed until everyone has a turn.

Opening Prayer.

As a group adhere rainbow colored ribbons to dowel rods to make dancing ribbons or streamers.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:

Introduce Key Verse: Look up in the Bible (assist and instruct).

Note Genesis is the first book of the Bible. Identify passage - Genesis 37: 1-36 & Introduce Story/Characters.

Play the song "Jo-Jo-Joseph Had a Rainbow Coat" from "Bible Songs 1 (Kidz Tunz)

Encourage kids to explore the song through movement -- using their streamers. The song lists the colors in Joseph's coat. Assign a color to each child. Have the student step forward and wave their colored streamer when their assigned color is mentioned in the song. (explain and demonstrate choreography prior to playing the song.)

Play the song "Dream" which describes Joseph's dreams. Provide the children with paper and pencil to "illustrate" the dreams. Ask them how they would interpret the dreams.

Read the rest of the story to the children (through Joseph's enslavement in Potipher's house).

Answer Questions

Q. Joseph's brothers were so jealous! Why?

Their father gave Joseph a beautiful coat, but they got nothing. You might know what it feels like to want something someone else has. But there is a right way to behave, and Joseph's brothers chose the wrong way. Because they felt hurt, they treated Joseph very badly. Next time you feel jealous, remember that God knows everything you need. Be grateful instead for what you have. Then wait for God to fill your life with wonderful things!)

Discussion

Have you ever been jealous? If so, when?

How does jealousy affect how you think about or act toward someone? (separation)

What are some things you can be grateful for next time you feel jealous of someone else?

Closing:

Re-state key verse.

Resources

“Jo-Jo-Joseph Had A Rainbow Coat” from Kidz Tunz "Rainbow Coat and the Animals Boat." Released in 2000 by Tyndale House Publishers.

The song "Dream" was on the Songtime Kids: All New Bible Songs album (2001) by Spring Hill Music Group, Nashville: TN. The song communicates the content of Joseph's dreams.

A lesson written by T. Menzel from: First United Methodist Church

Ann Arbor, MI

Copyright 2003 First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI.Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use

provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.

Tie-dye a T-shirt. Their own unique shirts will remind students that God is with them always, they are special to him, and His love "covers" them through all situations and circumstances.Note: Because of time restrictions, only 3rd grade and up came through this workshop. The 1st and 2nd grade made tie-dyed t-shirts as a part of our Joseph in Egypt Rotation (posted as separate set of lessons).

Scripture Reference:

Genesis 37:1-36, 39:1-6b

Key Verse:

“We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” Romans 8:28a (CEV)

Workshop Objectives:

Identify Genesis as the first book in the Old Testament; locating the story in Genesis

Retell the story in their own words – identifying story characters and their feelings.

Explain how jealousy erupted in Joseph’s family. Learn how feelings can separate us from family and friends.

Learn that each of us is a favorite in the eyes of God.

Understand that God loves us and is never separated from us, no matter what happens.

Leader Preparation:

Read the scripture for this lesson.

Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.

Prepare an opening and/or closing prayer in case you need one.

Gather the materials.

Supplies List:

Bibles; story paraphrase

Sequence story strips (one set for every 3 students) – see end of lesson.

Gallon size plastic zipper bags (one per student), with take home directions attached.

Empty, clean gallon milk jugs with lids (3)

Before Start of Class:

Cover table top with plastic and secure plastic with masking tape. Use both tables for larger classes (more than 10 students).

Mix dye: Take tops off of spray bottles in kit. Set these tops aside so they don’t get lost! Pour powdered dye into plastic zip bags. With funnel spoon about half of powdered dye back into bottles. (Use spray bottles from several kits so have enough bottles to share). Fill bottles about halfway with warm water. Replace top and shake to mix. Store the excess dye powders in the zip bags for use in later weeks. [Note: liquid dye can be stored in spray bottles with caps on.]

Wearing gloves, fill bucket with at least 1 gallon of water. Stir in soda ash fixer and 1 cup of salt until dissolved. (Avoid inhaling the soda ash powder or splashing solution in eyes.) In subsequent weeks, pour the stored soda ash fixer solution from the milk jugs into the bucket(s).

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:Greet your students warmly. Introduce yourself and any other adults. Pass around a basket to collect any offering.[Note: The Shepherd will be taking care of attendance, etc. This can all happen quietly while you are starting your lesson.]

Say: Even though we are in the kitchen, for today this is the Art Workshop. We are learning (continuing to learn) about the Old Testament story of Joseph and his brothers – the part of the story when Joseph gets a special coat. Today we are making special t-shirts. (Show samples.)

Say: Because this is an involved art project, we are going to get started on our project right away. We need to get the shirts ready and while they are soaking we’ll read our Bible story and have prayer time.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection:

Write name on label of shirt.

Tie t-shirt as desired with rubber bands, etc. Make sure to leave name visible! [Hint: Place the shirt on top of a marble or coin. Twist tightly and secure with a rubber band. Repeat this process all around the shirt with several more marbles or coins – the more you use and the tighter you twist, the more interesting your patterns will be. Students may also elect to do a swirl pattern, which doesn’t require any tying.

Give tied t-shirt to an adult. An adult wearing gloves will submerge prepared t-shirts into the fixer solution. (This solution helps the dye bond with the fabric.) They will soak for about 20 minutes.

If you have students who finish ahead of others, have them work on word puzzles.

Dig In to the Bible:Distribute Bibles.Say: We are learning about Joseph and his coat of many colors.Ask: Where in the Bible would we find this story? (Old Testament, Genesis)

Have the students find the book of Genesis, chapter 37, verse 1, in their Bibles. Make sure it is noted that Genesis is the first book in the Old Testament. (Encourage students to bring their own Bibles.)[Note: Even though you’ll be reading the story to the students, the exercise of finding the story is still important.]

Say: I bet you already know something about this story. On these strips of paper are events in our story. Working in groups of three, see if you can put these strips or events, in the correct order.

Pass out sets of story sequence strips – one set for every 3 students.Allow a few minutes for this exercise. (It is ok if they peek in their Bibles!)Say: Let’s check how you did with the story in the Bible.

Read to them the story from the attached paraphrase.

Discussion:Ask: Why did Jacob give Joseph a special coat? (to show his love for Joseph)What about Joseph’s brothers, what were they thinking when Joseph received his special coat? (why didn’t I get one too? Dad likes Joseph best; jealous feelings)

Say: This special gift that Joseph got, but no one else got, was like Jacob saying, “Joseph is special!”Ask: Did Joseph act like he was a special person?How did that contribute to the feelings of rivalry in his family?Do you know anyone who brags about the things they own?How does this make you feel?

Ask: If we are angry or jealous of someone, does that make us feel close to that person, or separated from that person? (separated)Say: Feelings of anger or jealousy separate us from family or friends. The good news is that God is never separated from us! God is always close to us. One way we can feel closer to God is through prayer.

Ask: This might seem like an obvious question, but why is it important to pray when we’re feeling separated from family and friends? (God already knows we need his help; prayer is a way we show our trust in God)

Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Be prepared to say a prayer yourself, working in prayer requests. A suggestion: “Dear God. Thank you for being with us in every situation. Help us not to get jealous or angry when others have things we don’t have. Help us remember your love is always with us. Amen.”

Say: Joseph and his family didn’t deal with their problems, so they became even bigger problems.Ask: Are there ways to keep feelings like jealousy under control so it doesn’t cause trouble? (talk to an adult about the hard feelings; tell a friend how you are feeling without getting angry; pray for God’s strength to get you through a hard time; read the Bible for reassurance of God’ love for us in all circumstances)

Say: God loves you. Let’s make a special colorful t-shirt. When you wear your shirt you’ll be reminded that God’s love “covers” you through all situations and circumstances. [Note: as you say this last line you may wish to wrap yourself in one of the completed t-shirts.]

Return to Art Project:

Have everyone put on gloves and a smock. Everyone must be well covered. Meanwhile an adult with gloves removes the shirts from the fixer solution, wringing them to remove excess solution.

Demonstrate how to hold the spray bottle – which way will the spray be coming out?! Teach everyone to hold the spray bottle at a shallow angle to the surface. Students may use as many or as few colors as they like.

Have students spray desired colors. After a few sprays, stop and wait a minute (let someone else use the spray bottle). It takes a minute for the color to “ripen” – the fuchsia especially deepens as it stands. Holding the bottle closer creates a more concentrated color; farther away – more subtle.[Note: for wrinkle or swirl designs they will need to work the shirt creating wrinkles or swirls before applying dye. See instructions with spray dye kit.]

When finished, have each student place his or her dyed shirt in a gallon zip bag. Try to have shirt be placed in bag so name is visible (or write name on zip bag). The shirt must stay in the bag at least 8 hours. (We will ask parents to finish the dyeing process at home. Directions will be attached to each zip bag. For copy of directions, see “Attachments” at end of lesson.)

An adult with clean, gloved hands should wipe exterior of zip bags with paper towel to remove any traces of dye.

Have students carefully remove gloves and dispose; Remove smock (folding neatly on cart).

Closing:Say: We have learned that anger and jealousy can cause pain. No matter what happens that may separate you from others, we are never separated from God’s love. When you wear your shirt – remember God loves you.

Dismissal:Make sure everyone takes his or her shirt! (Tell them to have parents read the instructions.)

Clean Up:

Dump out basins of soapy water.

Dispose of plastic table covering.

Put tops on spray bottles.

Save as much fixer solution as possible by pouring it into the milk jugs. Make sure jugs are labeled.

Wipe tables with soapy water.

Store supplies on cart.

Story Sequence Strips:

Jacob (also called Israel) had lots of sons, but liked Joseph best.

Jacob gives Joseph a coat of many colors.

Joseph’s brothers are jealous of his beautiful coat.

Joseph has dreams about his brothers bowing down to him.

Joseph’s brothers took the flock to Shechem.

Joseph’s brothers plot to kill Joseph.

The brothers throw Joseph into an empty well.

Joseph’s brothers sell Joseph into slavery.

The brothers tell Jacob that a wild animal killed Joseph.

Take home directions:To Parents and Guardians of Sunday’s Cool Disciples:Today your child visited the Art Workshop. We made tie-dyed t-shirts! Ask your child about the Bible story we learned. (Hint: Genesis 37:1-36, Joseph and his multi-colored coat.) In order for your child to finish this project, we need your help. Please follow the instructions below. Remember to wear gloves while handling the shirt or your hands will be multi-colored!

We hope your child enjoys their creation. Each time they wear their shirt, they will be reminded that: They are special to God, God is with them always and God’s love "covers" them through all situations and circumstances.

Washing and Drying Instructions

Allow the T-shirt to set in the plastic bag overnight (or at least 8 hours).

Put on rubber gloves and rinse the shirt, starting with warm water and then cool, until the water runs clear. Remove any rubber bands during rinsing. This is permanent dye, so be careful not to get any of it on your clothes!

Wash the shirt by itself in the washing machine with warm water. It's a good idea to run the washer again with warm water and some soap to make sure that no dye is left in your machine.

Hang up the shirt to dry or dry it in the dryer.

After your child wears the shirt, wash and dry it separately once more in case the dye is not completely rinsed out.

Story ParaphraseGenesis 37:1-35

Jacob (who was also called Israel) lived in the land of Canaan. Jacob had many sons (12 in all) but he liked Joseph the best. Because Jacob loved Joseph so much, Jacob made Joseph a coat with many beautiful colors. The coat made Joseph proud. He felt special! But it made his brothers…mad! They hated Joseph. They couldn’t speak one kind word to him.

One night Joseph had a dream. When he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. “Listen to my dream,” said Joseph. “We were out in the field, tying our bundles of wheat together, when suddenly my bundle rose and stood upright. All of your bundles gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” His brothers said, “do you plan to be king over us?” They didn’t like what Joseph had to say.

Then Joseph had another dream. He told his brothers. “In this dream the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” Joseph's brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept wondering about the dream. What could it mean?

One day when Joseph's brothers had taken the sheep to a pasture near Shechem, Jacob asked Joseph to go check on them. So, Joseph went to find his brothers. His brothers saw him coming—it must have been because of the colorful coat. “Here comes that dreamer,” said his brothers. “Let’s kill him! Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams!” “No, don’t kill him,” Reuben said. “Let’s only throw him into a pit. There’s one over there.” Reuben was thinking that at night he would secretly rescue Joseph.

Joseph came up to his brothers. Before he could even say hello, they grabbed him. They took his multicolored coat and threw him into a pit. Then his brothers sat down to eat their dinner.

As they were eating Judah said, “Look, here come some men on their way to Egypt – Ishmaelite traders. Let’s sell Joseph, then we won’t have to kill him. After all, he is our brother.” So when the traders came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold him for twenty pieces of silver.

Joseph's brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph's fancy coat in its blood. They took the coat to their father and said, "We found this!” Jacob recognized it. “Joseph must have been killed by a wild animal!” Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time.

Paraphrased from CEV and NIrV Bibles.

NOTES: The AfterglowThe kids loved this workshop. They were so proud to wear their creations!Some hints - do have a bucket of floor wash material ready - the dye got on the floor - but it washed up fine. Do spread newspaper on the floor around the tables. Do have extra pairs of adult hands.Another church who did tie-dyed shirts for a VBS, reported to me that they had success doing the soda ash soak ahead of time and then drying the shirts so they were ready for tying and immediate dying.

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